Barqa: Libya’s history is marked by complex regional dynamics that continue to influence its current instability. The country is divided into three distinct regions: Barqa (Cyrenaica) in the east, Tarabulus al-Gharb (Tripolitania) in the west, and Fazzan in the south. Each region is characterized by its unique ethnic makeup, colonial experience, and political development.
According to Global Voices, Cyrenaica, with Benghazi as its capital, has historically been the most Arab and tribally oriented of Libya’s regions. Its population maintains deep cultural and linguistic connections with Egypt and Sudan. During World War II, the region came under British military administration after Italian forces lost control to the Allied powers. Fezzan, located in the south, shares geographical links with the Sahel and borders Niger, Chad, and Algeria. The region has often been neglected by centralized rulers in Tripoli and continues to suffer from underdevelopment, human trafficking, and foreign interference.
Tripolitania, with Tripoli as its capital, is Libya’s smallest region by area but the most densely populated. During the Italian colonial period, Tripolitania was closely aligned with Rome and collaborated with Fascist Italy in suppressing anti-colonial resistance. Historical records indicate that during the 1920s and 1930s, Tripolitanian leaders and clerics issued religious endorsements encouraging local fighters to join Italian militias. These forces participated in operations against Cyrenaican resistance, leading to the arrest, exile, and execution of prominent anti-colonial figures.
In 1937, Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini received a Libyan delegation, including prominent religious figures from Tripoli, as part of a broader fascist propaganda campaign. The ceremony, where Mussolini was awarded the title Sword of Islam, served as both a colonial spectacle and an ideological tool to undermine anti-colonial movements in the east. Despite the union established in 1951 under King Idris I, uniting the three regions under the name Libya, tensions persisted.
From 1951 to 1963, Libya functioned as a federal monarchy with each region having its own parliament and budget. However, the central government, dominated by Tripolitanian elites, abolished federalism in 1963, consolidating power in Tripoli and sparking deep resentment, particularly in the east. In 1969, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi seized power, entrenching centralized authority and marginalizing both Cyrenaica and Fezzan.
The 2011 revolution, inspired by the Arab Spring, led to Gaddafi’s downfall but reignited historical grievances. The post-Gaddafi landscape saw the emergence of rival governments and intensified the civil war. This institutional breakdown paved the way for the re-emergence of Libya’s historical regional identities. Cyrenaica called for a restoration of federalism, Fezzan demanded greater control over its resources, and Tripolitania remained fragmented by competing militias and entrenched patronage networks.
In 2024-2025, renewed clashes broke out in Tripoli among rival armed groups. Despite efforts by the UN, Libya has yet to hold national elections. Many experts argue that ignoring Libya’s pre-1951 history is at the root of the crisis. The fragmentation reflects contested legitimacy and divergent visions for Libya’s future, transforming the conflict into a multidimensional struggle over identity, governance, and historical justice.